plumbago in 1899 more than doubled in price, rising from L40 to L80,
and even L100 a ton for the finest. Latterly there has been a
considerable fall, but the permanent demand is likely to continue keen
in consequence mainly of the Ceylon kind being the best for making
crucibles. The trade with Great Britain and the United States has
slightly decreased, but there has been a rapid expansion in the
exports to Belgium and Holland, Russia, Japan and Victoria; and the
industry seems to be established on a sound basis. One consequence of
its development has been to bring European and American capitalists
and Cornish and Italian miners into a field hitherto almost entirely
worked by Sinhalese. Though some of the mines were carried to a depth
of 1000 ft., the work was generally very primitive in character, and
Western methods of working are sure to lead to greater safety and
economy. Besides a royalty or customs duty of 5 rupees (about 6s. 8d.)
per ton on all plumbago exported, the government issue licenses at
moderate rates for the digging of plumbago on crown lands, a certain
share of the resulting mineral also going to government. The plumbago
industry, in all its departments of mining, carting, preparing,
packing and shipping, gives employment to fully 100,000 men and women,
still almost entirely Sinhalese. The wealthiest mine-owners, too, are
Sinhalese land-owners or merchants.

As regards _gems_, there are perhaps 500 gem pits or quarries worked
in the island during the dry season from November to June in the
Ratnapura, Rakwane and Matara districts. Some of these are on a small
scale; but altogether several thousands of Sinhalese find a precarious
existence in digging for gems. Rich finds of a valuable ruby,
sapphire, cat's-eye, amethyst, alexandrite or star stone, are
comparatively rare; it is only of the commoner gems, such as
moonstone, garnet, spinels, that a steady supply is obtained. The
cat's-eye in its finer qualities is peculiar to Ceylon, and is
occasionally in great demand, according to the fashion. The obstacle
to the investment of European capital in "gemming" has always been the
difficulty of preventing the native labourers in the pits---even if
practically naked--from concealing and stealing gems. A Chamber of
Mines, with a suitable library, was established in Colombo during
1899.

_Manufactures._--Little is done save in the preparat